Monsters? No Humans(At least partly)
by Shironeki98
Summary: She always thought Ken Kaneki was unique. She just didn't realize how special he was. After all, he was just a mortal right? Oh, how wrong could she be? Two eyes, filled with kindness and a dull grey. The same two eyes, cold and dead, yet a blazing silver.
1. It has begun v3

**Hey. This is my first time writing something, but I'll try my best. This will most likely be a one-shot unless I get overwhelming responses to it, then maybe I'll decide on continuing the story. Anyways, this story was inspired by FoxyAtTheCorner's work, "the manager". An interesting view of Kaneki from someone who doesn't know him and reveals enough info to get readers interested, but not making it overly "wordy". I'm hoping the story will continue, but for now it seems like a one-shot. All this being said, I don't mind criticism, whether rude or otherwise as it will most probably help me improve my writing skills. Note that this probably won't follow canon as I have not read PJO for quite some time. Apologies if the characters seem weird. My writing style is odd. Rated T for now, may change to M.**

 **Legal disclaimer(Just in case): I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. If I did, I'd be rich.**

She cried out in pain as the hulking beast wrapped an arm around her neck and lifted her in the air. Dimly, she could here Percy yelling in the background, pleading for someone, _anyone_ to help his mom. It wouldn't matter, a few seconds of squeezing would be more than enough force to crush her neck like a tin can. Sally Jackson could only hope that the satyr(Grover? He seemed nice) would help her son to safety before the Minotaur went after him as well. Of course, he would only be safe for a short period of time for the gods were angry(Zeus and Poseidon were going to start another fight. Joy.) and he would have to undertake a quest like the heroes of legend he loved hearing so much about. Nevertheless, it would make her significantly more at ease if the last thing she would see of the living world before she departed for the Underworld was Percy, completely fine and not watching her die(gruesomely most likely).

She wheezed for breath and made a futile attempt at prying apart the beast's iron grip, only managing to enrage it further and tighten said grip around her neck. Her feeble struggles stopped as the cutting off of her oxygen supply was starting to make her see spots. Sally absentmindedly wondered why the beast wasn't finishing her off immediately and going for her son(not that she was complaining) as her eyes fluttered shut, body going limp in the Minotaur's grip.

 _I'm sorry I won't be there for you Percy._ Sally thought with a sad smile, a tear slowly making its way down her cheek as she waited for the end.

...

Why wasn't the beast killing her? The pressure on her neck had... decreased?

Eyes flying open, hoping to see some miracle instead of the Minotaur drawing back for the final strike and was rather surprised by the scene unfolding in front of her. Yes, the Minotaur had cocked back a fist to punch her square in the face(Sally shuddered at the imagery of her head flying off her shoulders), but had froze in its place and was currently staring at something behind Sally. Releasing its grip fully and dropping Sally on the ground, the Minotaur let out a bellow that sounded both angry and _frightened_ before rushing at what had attracted its attention. Whipping her head backwards and hoping Percy hadn't done something incredibly stupid, she was surprised by what she saw. Dressed professionally in a white trench coat with black outlines along the seams, wearing glasses and clutching a briefcase gently in his left hand was...

"Kaneki, what are you doing?" Sally shouted in both bafflement and horror, her manager casting an incredulous look at her before refocusing on the Minotaur barreling towards him. She knew Ken Kaneki was a special person(Being so young and the manager of his own coffee shop merely emphasized that), but he was still a mortal. A mortal that couldn't perceive monsters. He probably saw the monster as an irate animal(not much of a difference there) or a random drunk person. She didn't think her manager would be dragged into this mess as well, didn't think she could handle seeing those two emotion-filled eyes glaze over as he died, didn't think she could live(or die) knowing he was dead because of her... Sally reached towards Kaneki, hand extended as if she could make it in time to shield him from the attack that was sure to kill him immediately as her mind screamed for him to run. She watched his usually kind eyes harden and _crystallize_ and suddenly realized that something was very, very wrong. The only time Sally had seen her gentle manager like this, he had been dealing with a particularly stupid customer.

 _"Don't you realize who I am! I could ruin your life! Ruin your business and drive you into debt! Who are you to defy me!" the pudgy man yelled at Kaneki, jabbing a finger into Kaneki's chest as he did so, face turning red with anger. Taking a deep gulp of air, the pig berated Kaneki yet again._

 _"My business isn't with you. That girl spilled coffee all over my suit! She did it on purpose, I'll get rid of her for you!" The overweight man reached for the young waitress currently hiding behind Kaneki with fat fingers and finally paused when slender fingers shot up quickly to grasp the hand. Sally, who was standing at a side and resisting the urge to smack the idiot in the face, finally felt her intent washing away as her gentle, kind-hearted manager didn't look so doe-eyed anymore. His grey eyes, full of life and emotion, had frozen over and narrowed and his grip tightened on the man's hand. The man, seemingly realizing his mistake in antagonizing Kaneki, made to rip his hand from Kaneki's grip and proceeded to tug frantically as the iron grip never let up. Finally looking into Kaneki's eyes, Sally could see cold sweat dripping from the man's forehead as Kaneki's other hand twitched, thumb pushing down savagely on his finger and a chilling crack resonated through the suddenly quiet shop. Sally took a step back instinctively. Fingers didn't make such noises... right?  
_

 _"Please do not disturb the peace. Whatever concerns you have, I'll settle them later._ _" Kaneki whispered, the man starting to whimper in pain as the pressure on his wrist skyrocketed. Finally releasing him, Kaneki pushed the man towards the door and turned around to check on the frightened waitress. The pudgy man opened his mouth, than closed it and ran out of the shop._

After that day, Sally was more cautious around her manager. It seemed as if he had secrets buried beneath his polite facade. More than once after that, she would see his fingers twitch almost unconsciously. Mouth forming words that were never spoken, eyes gazing at people she couldn't see. It made her curious, made her want to know more about her unique manager. Ken Kaneki, barely in his twenties yet he held himself like a veteran of battle.

As she glanced back at the Minotaur and Kaneki, she found, oddly, that she wasn't as concerned anymore. As the Minotaur finally reached the still form of her manager, he _blurred.  
_

Suddenly appearing behind the Minotaur, he kicked towards its back and was rewarded by a satisfying crunch of the beast's spine giving way beneath his foot. Dropping softly to the ground as the Minotaur did the same(albeit in a more painful way), Kaneki stepped forward and drove his heel into the Minotaur's skull. Before the monster could even cry out in pain, it stilled and dissolved into golden dust. Dusting himself off, he walked towards Sally's prone form and extended a hand to help her up. An awkward silence stretched when Sally merely stared at the hand, as if shell-shocked by how efficiently he had dealt with the Minotaur. Sighing with exasperation, Kaneki grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet with a surprising amount of force. Immediately, she cried out in pain as her ankle burned. Concerned, Kaneki quickly set her down again before asking her a few questions.

"Jackson-san, are you alright? Where are you hurt?"

"It's Sally manager and my ankle seems to be broken... How did you defeat a Minotaur?"

"Minotaur? Isn't that Greek?"

"The monster you just killed."

"... Let's just say I know my way in a fight. Let's go before more show up." Unceremoniously, Kaneki picked up Sally(she would later deny squeaking) and shouldered her. Grunting slightly, he walked over to Percy(Who had been trying to process everything) and extended a hand like he had earlier. This time, Percy hurriedly stood up and opened his mouth as if to ask questions when Kaneki placed a finger to his lips in a "silence" gesture. Percy rolled his eyes, but obeyed nevertheless, only stopping to grab Grover before Kaneki made a noise of irritation and lifted the satyr with his free hand. Eyes widening, Percy looked at his mom as if to say, " _Is this guy for real?"_ and Sally shot a glare back. Percy shrugged and the three of them plus one unconscious satyr made their way up to Camp Half-blood. Naturally, only Sally knew the address and name, thus she was the one telling Kaneki which way to go(Despite there only being one hill). As they made their way up, a male wheeled by a girl around Percy's age came down to greet them(She faintly heard Percy say "Mr Brunner"). With a look of urgency in his eyes, the man waved for them to follow him back up into the camp. As they reached the borders, Percy and Grover passed through while Kaneki grunted as if having came in contact with an invisible force.

"Of course. I, Chiron, grant you two permission to enter." the male said bemusedly and Kaneki carried Sally in before freezing. Gently lowering her to the ground, he stepped back outside the camp borders, oblivious to the shouts of alarm from the girl, Chiron, Percy and Sally herself.

"The camp borders will hold the monsters back but going out there is suicide! Don't do this young man!" Chiron called out worriedly before stiffening as Kaneki turned his head back to look him in the eyes. Like earlier, his dull grey eyes had brightened to a _silver_ and seemed to be blazing. Without a word, he looked back forward as various monster hordes appeared from nowhere, Hellhounds from shadow, harpies from the air, skeletons from the earth... As the four of them watched in horror(Accompanied by some campers who had noticed the commotion), they saw Kaneki set down his briefcase gently before opening it. To their astonishment, a sword that seemed to be alive and pulsing was pulled from it and Kaneki wielded it nimbly, almost like a fencer. As the monster hordes crashed towards him, Sally could hear the cacophony of noise behind her as the campers and Chiron furiously armed themselves to try and assist Kaneki and drag him to safety.

Only one thing stood out though. It wasn't the noise behind her. It was coming from Kaneki.

A sharp and sickening crack, just like that day.

And as the first of the monsters reached him, Sally could feel him smiling.

 **Welp, that's all I have. I'm new to this fanfic stuff, so please help me point out errors. It seems a bit awkward as I'm currently writing in third-person, but it'll get better if I continue writing this fic. Anyways, review, comment and pm me if you want.**


	2. Here we go again v3

**Sup. I don't know how you stumbled upon this corner of the net, but let me greet you guys. I'm posting this now before my inspiration for the story dries up and I leave the story as a one-shot permanently. To those who read, thanks for acknowledging me. To those who followed me or the story, I appreciate it. I didn't think this story would get reads and likes this quickly.**

 **Just-A-Bit-Odd: Heh, thanks for the support. I probably won't make this a long project, but if I get more responses I might consider it. Right now, this is officially a two-shot.**

 **Lethe: Thanks! Usually people say I'm too detached in the 3rd person POV(And use too many brackets) but it's nice to see someone I don't know appreciate my writing style. Heh. Kagune ain't coming up yet.**

 **FoxyAtTheCorner: Wow! I didn't think I'd get a review from you this quickly! Thanks for the support, I was afraid you'd be the type to accuse me of plagiarism, but that's not the case here. Thank you so much! As for the quinque, it's actually Yukimura 1/3.**

 **Anyway, I'm not going to put spoilers in the author's note(duh) so onwards with the story!**

The moment Sally watched the monsters barrel down on Kaneki would be one forever etched in her mind. A single person(being able to kill the Minotaur in two blows didn't mean he was any less human) wielding a unique blade that seemed _alive_ , pulsing and glowing, standing relaxed while the largest group of monsters she had ever seen swarmed him. For a moment, her heart skipped a beat when the monsters swept over Kaneki like a sea of black and he disappeared from view.

One second.

Two.

Three.

Three seconds was how long it took for the glowing blade to reappear as the surrounding monsters stilled and disintegrated. With a kick towards the face of a Hellhound, Kaneki propelled himself over the crowd, golden dust clinging to him and his clothes still unruffled despite having been submerged under the monsters for that short period of time. Before her very eyes, she saw Kaneki's usual poker face fall away to reveal a wide grin as the sword moved once, twice and the harpies that were previously screeching and flying towards him were bisected horizontally, then vertically. The remaining harpies quickly moved out of the sword range as he finished yet another one off with an almost effortless flick of his wrist(that particular harpy fell to the ground as its head flew in a different direction).

He looked almost demonic bathed in the red light cast from his sword and the grin on his face quickly twisted into something resembling a snarl as he moved his other hand slightly to hold the sword(it looked like a rapier or a Japanese katana) in a two-handed grip. He brought the sword over his head in preparation for a swing and let gravity do its work. Plummeting like a stone towards the eagerly waiting monsters below, he completed the swing just before the first one reached for him. It was almost beautiful, like how a hurricane or tsunami was beautiful in a twisted, morbid way. The first swing had cut clean through a Hellhound and he quickly whirled around to stab the sword through another's skull. Preparations forgotten, Chiron and the campers also gazed open-mouthed as Kaneki took out monsters like he wasn't even trying(Which, judging by the bored look that crossed his face from time to time, seemed to be the case). Monster dust was spilled quicker than it settled, Kaneki twisted, lunged, jabbed, swung and stabbed at the monsters, ignoring the fact that he was outnumbered about one to more than a hundred.

Kaneki kicked one of the few remaining Hellhounds to the ground and thrust the sword through its eye before looking at the skeletons rushing towards him, some wearing mismatched armor and carrying a wide variety of weapons. Leaving the sword buried in the ground, he cocked his head and shouted in a loud voice.

"Hey, how do you function without nerves and muscles?" Sally groaned in disbelief and Percy promptly face-faulted at the question. Seriously, beginning a fight alone and outnumbered, discarding his weapon and now asking his opponents questions?

As the first of the skeletons reached him(and most of the other monsters retreating), Kaneki entered a loose fighting stance, a hand hanging by his side while the other was raised in front of his midsection. His legs were spread slightly as he waited for the broadaxe the first skeleton carried to finish its arc towards his skull. People suddenly yelling at him to move(yet he stood firmly in place), Sally had a vision of Kaneki's skull splitting open like a rotten watermelon dropped on the floor and shuddered, blinking rapidly to get rid of the image. As she glanced back towards the fight, she noted with surprise than Kaneki had merely leaned his body to one side as the skeleton staggered when the axe met no resistance. He then slammed the side of his hand into the ribs of the skeleton and Sally watched, rather impressed, when the hand went through and returned to his side before the skeleton could even react. As it crumpled to the floor as a pile of bones, Kaneki stepped forward and used a devastating roundhouse kick, causing another skeleton's skull to cave in. After that, the rest of the skeletons formed a semi-circle around him, slowly closing in with their weapons pointed directly at any vital points. Kaneki looked impressed at the show of strategic thinking, but his face went blank yet again.

Sally shivered. Just entering his adult phase(a conversation had enlightened her that his age was twenty-three) and Kaneki hid his emotions better than most people twice his age. It was both unnerving and fascinating. After all, it wasn't every day you found a young clear-sighted mortal able to take out hordes of monsters only armed with a simple sword and his limbs. He was agile and didn't seem to stick to one pattern, fluidly shifting from using his sword to his fists and legs, yet still having the same surgical precision and efficiency. Judging from the impressed look on Chiron's face, he was rather intrigued as well. Kaneki balled his hands into fists and his eyes took on a manic gleam(it was saddening how his eyes were the most expressive part of him despite the gentle smile he always carried) and he darted towards the closest skeleton. It raised the spear and aimed it at Kaneki, the expected reaction would be for Kaneki to dodge again, but to their shock, he took the spear to the gut without flinching and it _shattered_. Using the momentary lapse in focus, he grabbed the skull of the skeleton and promptly introduced it to his knee until it disintegrated. Dusting himself off, he twisted sharply to push another one back with an elbow strike, tripped one and brought his heel onto its midsection and jabbed the last one in the neck, causing the head to arch away from the main body as it ran around trying to catch the head. It was a rather morbid sight but proved comical, Sally watching Percy stifle a snigger and Kaneki's lips twitching up into a slight smile.

Kaneki quickly decimated the remaining skeletons with a few well placed strikes to the skull(she noted with surprise that the skeletons didn't reform and attack him again) and shifted through the mounds of golden dust to pick up his discarded weapon. He flicked it, as if wiping non-existent blood off it and quickly found his briefcase. The onlookers watched aghast as the monsters merely made various noises to express their anger, but didn't press forward and attack again. Perhaps the earlier fight... no _massacre_ had convinced them that Kaneki was not worth dying for. He then pushed the sword back into the briefcase and Sally watched it shrink and fold, finally fitting in the briefcase with a *click*. Kaneki turned around and smiled uneasily at the onlookers. As he stepped towards them, Sally absentmindedly noted that the monsters followed his movements, but still retained the distance between them. Sally mentally sighed in relief when Kaneki finally crossed the borders of camp and into safety, only to be bombarded by questions from the curious children, most coming from the blonde girl that had been pushing Chiron around.

"Hello young man. It seems that you have quite a lot of potential in fighting. May I know your name?" Chiron, still bound to his wheelchair, extended a hand and smiled serenely. Kaneki looked at him and Chiron could see his eyes glaze over slightly before he took the outstretched hand and shook it gently, also smiling, but it looked... broken.

"Ken Kaneki. Most people call me Kaneki. What should I call you?" he responded in a voice that sounded both warm and ice cold. Despite herself, Sally shivered.

"Ah, a foreigner I presume? People call me Chiron. I am a centaur and the teacher of this camp." Chiron abruptly rose out of the wheelchair, actual legs unfolding from whatever space they had been compressed into to reveal his true nature as a half-horse. Kaneki's eyes widened slightly with an almost childlike wonder before they returned to their original state and he shrugged helplessly.

"Yes, I am a foreigner. Might I ask why this camp seems to be...magical Chiron-san?" Kaneki scratched his head in slight embarrassment at the incredulous look Chiron gave him. Sally quickly deduced that Chiron had assumed he was a demigod, despite the fact that he was a foreigner, it would have made sense judging from Kaneki's fighting ability.

"Well Kaneki, the short version is that the Greek pantheon was not wiped out, the children here have one of the Greek gods as their parent and this camp was created to prevent monsters from entering. Although we probably need not worry, judging from how well you have dispatched the horde that had overrun Thalia quite a few years ago." Chiron winced slightly at the mention of Thalia, glancing towards the pine tree on the camp's border as he did so. Not missing the small action, Kaneki placed a hand on Chiron's shoulder and his eyes betrayed a shred of sympathy and sorrow.

"I'm sorry for your loss Chiron-san. I know how it is to lose people." Sally glanced, concerned. The conversation between Chiron and Kaneki was the most personal information she had gotten about him. Was that the reason he had traveled to America? To escape his past?

Sally turned her attention back to the borders and froze. The monsters were gone. They never gave up before, only disappeared on death but now... It just made Kaneki all the more interesting. To be the first one to successfully _scare_ off a monster horde. Kaneki couldn't be a mortal, nor was he a demigod but... who in the world had such power yet didn't know about the Greek world?

Suddenly, the ground erupted outside the camp borders. A tremor split apart the soil, slowly making its way towards the borders before it faltered, the protective barrier of the camp glowing brightly for a moment. Keyword being moment. The impenetrable barrier shattered like glass. Guess it wasn't so impenetrable after all. As the crack in the ground widened, someone stepped out of it, shrouded by ghostly figures that were screaming mutely. The person raised a hand and more tremors occurred, the ground giving way for yet more monsters to crawl out of, until there was at least two times the monsters there were before.

"Black Reaper. Your time is up. You'll get your wish to see your loved ones again. Only this time you're not going to cheat death. Nor will you mock me any longer." Hades, King of the Underworld spat in a dark tone, hand crackling with dark energy.

Kaneki cocked his head for a moment, as if pondering the situation(not a surprise, he knew nothing about the Greek Pantheon) before his face lit up in recognition. The surroundings seemed to drop several degrees as the shadows were _drawn_ to Kaneki, not Hades. As a glowing aura of pure killing intent made itself apparent around Kaneki, his expression changed. No longer was it his usual poker face or his occasional look of cold fury. No. Hades stepped back slightly, a look of unease slowly forming on his face as he couldn't regain control of the shadows.

This time, Kaneki was _downright_ _furious._

 **Hey guys, this is the second chapter in this little story of mine. Now, a few clarifications: Yes, Kaneki has some connection to Hades but doesn't know who he was. After all, Kaneki has had countless brushes with Death hasn't he. Heh. This is going to be fun. See ya guys!**


	3. The true Reaper v3

**Heh guys, welcome back. It's been a while since I posted the second chapter of this story but here's the next! I'm rather disappointed with the number of reviews I've gotten but what should I have expected? Thanks to all who reviewed, followed and favourited, check out my other story as well. It's a crossover between Tokyo Ghoul and Sword Art Online, a concept that I've been entertaining for quite some time.**

 **JustABitOdd: Nice to see you again!**

 **Soloyoalv: Half-ghoul. If he were a demigod, he would have been able to pass through the barrier. And yes, Kaneki is strong.**

 **Marouan: Thanks for the support!**

 **Guest: I'd mark this complete, but I want to continue it. Eventually.**

 **Guest: Heh, thanks.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Kaneki was, by nature, a kind-hearted person. Sally had seen the ways he treated everyone around him, whether good or bad. Polite, always smiling and looking genuinely happy with his life, he was the second bright spot in her dull life apart from Percy. She remembered the first time she had met Kaneki.

 _Sally had been dragged along by Smelly Gabe(As Percy called him) to a nearby bar. After him getting drunk and incoherent, Sally had to carry the man home. She grimaced at the odor wafting off him(Percy's nickname came to mind) and groaned at his weight. Smelly Gabe was practically a dead weight as she could only do so much to support a slurring grown man and try to steer him back to their house at the same time. As they crossed by a park, Gabe teetered and swayed, forcing Sally to take a break by placing the man on a bench nearby and slumping to the ground next to it. She took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. This was all to protect Percy. She had to remember that._

 _Suddenly, the drunk man stirred and looked at Sally with half-lidded eyes. Stumbling towards her, he fell_ _ **on top**_ _of her and she could feel him pawing for her clothes. She started to panic, frantically trying to push the heavy weight off of her as Gabe pressed down further, leering at the frightened expression on her face. As he held her down, her clothes momentarily forgotten, he fumbled for his own zipper. She retched slightly at the acidic smell coming from his mouth, then resumed her struggles to get free until a drunken fist collided with her temple. After all, Sally was still a woman, how was she supposed to fight off someone who clearly was not holding back their strength and probably twice her weight? She screamed sharply as her head collided with the ground and the scream cut off abruptly after that. Her head immediately started throbbing and her struggles became more feeble. Black spots filled her vision as she let her hands fall to her side and braced for the worst._

 _Only to open her eyes again to see Gabe totter before he keeled over to one side, off of her and onto the grass. Behind him stood a young man. He had snow-white hair and pale skin. He was wearing gray gloves that fit snugly around his hands and they were currently clenched into fists. One was still outstretched from when it had smashed into the back of Gabe's neck and there was a troubled expression on his face. The young man looked disgustedly at the prone form of Gabe before squatting down slightly and offering his hand to Sally. Hesitating slightly, Sally looked carefully at his eyes, mentally noting the concealed emotions behind them, before extending a hand in return for him to pull her up._

 _"Thank you for helping me." Sally asked, watching the young man scratch his neck sheepishly before replying._

 _"Ah, it was the right thing to do... My name's Ken Kaneki by the way."_

 _"Sally Jackson. Pleasure to meet you Ken."_

 _"People call me Kaneki."_

Returning from her trip down memory lane, she was immediately assaulted by the screams of the terrified campers. Chiron had produced a bow and arrow, currently shooting as many monsters as possible(each one finding its aim) and ordering the campers to run to the cabins and barricade themselves in. Small groups of fighting broke out here and there, the children fighting desperately to kill the monsters before they could be overwhelmed. Surrounded by the chaos, she half-expected herself to panic and run far, far away. However, she only had eyes for the man who had most likely incited the situation. Ken Kaneki stood in front of the Lord of the Dead, right hand gripped tightly around the briefcase which housed his weapon while his left hand was curled into a claw-like shape. Before her very eyes, Kaneki snapped his fingers and shadow congealed in his hand, encasing it in the darkness. Raising his head calmly to regard the startled form of Hades, Kaneki's mouth curled into a smile as he slammed his hand into the ground. Feeling it more than seeing it, Sally watched the monsters freeze in place, tendrils of magic stopping them from attacking. They slowly started levitating as Kaneki's hand lifted from its position on the ground(where cracks had webbed out from the force of impact) and Kaneki _squeezed._

Clouds of monster dust cascaded down on the shocked forms of everyone but Kaneki as they tried to comprehend the impossible act that had just occurred. A single gifted mortal, somehow able to wield darkness despite its owner standing in his presence, just killed over twice the number of monsters he had earlier with a **squeeze**. Chuckling slightly at the dumbfounded expression on Hades' face, Kaneki cracked a finger(She flinched). The earsplitting sound proved to be a catalyst, Hades recovering and launching waves of dark energy towards him as Kaneki shifted into a familiar position.

Sally swore she saw his eye flash **red**.

Dodging the magic almost effortlessly, Kaneki's empty left hand was suddenly filled with throwing knives, each hurled towards the Lord of the Dead with pinpoint accuracy. Hades blasted them away as fast as possible, but the weapons miraculously arched back towards him, only stopping after burying themselves in some part of his body. Hissing in pain, Hades roared and all the knives were blown away. Golden ichor dripped from the various wounds on his body as he glared at Kaneki hatefully.

"What are you?" Hades questioned almost fearfully, slowly backing away from the mortal who had just wounded him. Kaneki tilted his head curiously, the smile on his lips curving to form a snarl as he raced towards Hades, sword drawn and ready.

"I. Am. The. Reaper. I don't care if you're a god or not. **You are going to pay**." Kaneki hissed with every swing, Hades blocking them and shifting backwards to compensate for the overwhelming force bearing down on him. Eyes darting around frantically, Hades tried to find a way of escape, but to no avail. His parrying skills slowly grew sloppy as Kaneki continued relentlessly, exhaustion seemingly not getting to him yet burdening a _god._

Kaneki pressed on, eyes positively blazing with fury like they were when he first met Hades(She could have sworn his eye turned red). To Sally's astonishment, she saw tears trace their way down his cheeks as his furious onslaught only grew faster, discarding skill to the wind. Each strike carried so much weight behind them, Sally was positive a lesser person would have collapsed immediately under the heavy attacks coming from every direction. No sooner did Hades bat one away did another swing force him to continue his defense without a single moment of rest. Struggling to keep the blows from raining down on him, Hades sent a bolt of magic towards Kaneki's chest and Sally cried out involuntarily when it struck him.

It didn't even elicit a response.

The attack appeared to have given Kaneki even more fuel for his attacks, the intensity in his eyes growing to a fearful degree as his left eye switched from dull grey to red erratically(She wasn't dreaming right?). The Lord of the Dead was a god, one of the Big Three. He was supposed to be one of the most powerful beings on the planet and mortals were supposed to _grovel_ before him.

So why was one of the weak mortals overpowering him? Why was he _afraid_ of the mortal? Hades' train of thought screeched to an abrupt halt as an impact made him cough out ichor again. The strange sword had ran Hades through and, looking at the fire burning in the mortal's eyes, would soon do even more damage to him. Yes, gods couldn't fade, but he didn't want to end up like his father, sliced into pieces and scattered. Desperately, he threw all he had into an attack and teleported, hoping that while he made his way to safety, the strange mortal would be burned up by his divine essence. _Zeus will need to know about this,_ Hades thought to himself as he unleashed his divine form.

The campers had already covered their eyes when the god had started glowing, even Sally had closed them reflexively. When she opened her eyes however, she saw that Kaneki had not.

The pristine white coat that he was wearing(and most of what else he had) was charred and scorched. The last attack that Hades had thrown was just before he had escaped, it had distracted Kaneki enough for the attack to connect. A multitude of bones had peppered him, piercing his heart, lungs and most likely three more of his major internal organs. If that wasn't bad enough, every inch of skin was an angry red and seemed to be more _flesh_ than skin. Dropping to the ground as Sally and Chiron ran(or galloped) towards him, Kaneki's sword fell with a clatter and the man himself collapsed. Hoping against hope that Kaneki was somehow alive(he had just faced one of the gods and _won_ ), Sally reached his prone form and started to assess the situation.

A pool of blood was slowly forming around his body, staining the ground and his clothes. Gasping in shock, she fought back tears and looked towards Chiron for guidance. To her horror, Chiron merely shook his head sadly and reached down to close Kaneki's eyes. In her heart of hearts, she knew that Kaneki had basically zero chance to survive that attack, much less recover fast enough to let them patch him up. Kneeling beside his corpse, she felt guilt coil in her chest. If she had brought Percy to Camp Half-Blood earlier, the Minotaur wouldn't have shown up and Kaneki would still be alive. Grasping one of his hands, the guilt in her chest intensified as the warmth normally found in it was absent. He was cold to the touch and she couldn't feel a pulse. Starting to cry, Sally sobbed apologies as Percy also made his way to the body and hugged his mother. The campers formed a circle around him, even Chiron bowed his head as a mark of respect to the deceased individual.

They were too preoccupied to see the small changes occurring.

The bones were being pushed out of his body.

The color was slowly returning to his skin.

The raw red of his skin slowly faded back to its usual pale tone.

It was only when his hand twitched did Sally look up from her mourning.

The blonde girl from earlier screamed as Kaneki's body shuddered.

As everyone watched, the wounds he bore slowly faded and the bones fell out of his body with dull thuds.

And, ignoring the impossibility of the situation, Kaneki opened his eyes.

Looking blearily at the people surrounding him(who were wearing various expressions of horror and morbid fascination), he asked in a polite tone, "What happened?"

When his question garnered no response, he sat up and winced, apparently aching all over(mild compared to being dead). He slowly rose to his feet and dusted himself off. Looking at his damaged clothes, Kaneki grimaced and picked up the discarded briefcase, forcing his sword back into it. Finally closing the briefcase, he looked curiously at the blonde girl(Sally really needed to start learning names) who had unsheathed a bronze dagger and was currently pointing it at Kaneki. Her hand trembling slightly, she attacked Kaneki, screaming wildly.

 _"MONSTER!"_

 **Welp, that's all I have for this chapter. I hope I wrote the fight scene well enough(fight? More like one-sided beatdown) and the quality of my work hasn't gone down. Now, to clarify, Kaneki survived the divine exposure through sheer willpower alone. His healing factor is also _obviously_ enough to regenerate from such a measly attack. I mean, he survived his brain getting destroyed, arms and legs being cut off over and over again... I'm not going to be surprised if his regeneration ends up making him like Noro(such a shame how easily Noro was killed). Here's the end of this chapter!**


	4. The Night will fall and drown in Sun v3

**Hey guys. Welcome back to another chapter of this story. Now, I've been away for quite some time, but there are plenty of ideas buzzing around in this head of mine, so I'll be sure to follow my schedule. I thank all those who reviewed, favourited and followed, it makes my day to see that one of my fics got such a good response. I'll be obscuring Kaneki's past quite a lot, but it's going to be sad(if it can be any sadder than it already is).**

 **Zoepeanut: Thanks! Yeah, I personally think the movies were trash compared to the novels. Not trying to offend anyone. I think.**

 **Eldritch Prince, Guest, Just-A-Bit-Odd, Marouan, Kiriio, Yokui, RubyTheGhoul, Guest, Spiderwl: You guys all had comments in the same range, so I'll reply to all of you at once. Thanks for the support. :)**

 **KA-336: I love that you think my story is good. My writing style usually seems too morbid and detached for most people to read, so it's nice that there are people out there who like it.**

 **Nemesis Lyonner: Uhm… Probably not. I have other ideas for who he should be paired with.**

 **Shanora98: I can't exactly write fight scenes. Not my forte. Either I get too over analytical or it turns out like chapter 3. I'll do my best to improve! Backstory's gonna be tricky…**

 **Alice: It was borderline ridiculous. He died from attacks from the members of the Quinx. Friggin hell. He didn't even sustain so much physical damage. He was one of my favourites…**

 **Welp. Got that over and done with. ONWARDS**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing**

When Annabeth lunged at the mysterious man, she was running high on adrenaline and desperation. The man, only known as "Black Reaper", had fought against the eldest brother of the Big Trio and _won_. It wasn't that beating gods was impossible(most of the ancient Greek heroes had managed to accomplish that), but it was the fact that he was a _mortal_.

As seen from how Chiron had to invite him into Camp, it was obvious he did not have a single connection to the Greek gods. He had seemed shocked when Chiron revealed his Centaurian nature, but quickly recovered as the monsters came closer to the borders. Despite herself, fear had seized her at the time, every irrational thought of the divine borders falling racing through her head. Then, to everyone's shock, he had voluntarily stepped out of the safety that had just been bestowed on him without a second thought(though she did see the concerned glance he had aimed at the newcomers) and single-handedly slaughtered the monster horde that had previously seemed impossible to overcome. The glowing sword he wielded perked her curiosity, where would one find an artifact like that? There were but two choices, one being the sword was of the divine kind(explaining his reckless, almost suicidal behaviour.), the second being the fact that the sword was very, very advanced technology. Either way, she(and most likely many others), wanted to figure out the sword.

The unsettling feeling in Annabeth's chest intensified when the borders broke, shattered by divine power and Hades himself arrived to put down the one-man-army that fought to protect them. The "Black Reaper" then managed to pull off a feat even more ludicrous than before and destroy the monster horde with a single motion of his hand, looking completely unfazed by the act he had just performed. The man _annihilated_ Hades despite the fact that it was a god versus a mortal. At that point, Annabeth's instincts screamed for her to find a way to kill the wild card she saw before herself. A mortal with no ties to the Greek parthenon _and_ the ability to fight off nigh unstoppable forces was a bomb waiting to explode.

When Hades disappeared, she was almost relieved that the man had been punctured full of holes. Statistically speaking, there was no chance of a mortal surviving. However, as Annabeth had already known, he wasn't just a mortal. It was slow and he seemed weak after the whole process, but the man… no, the monster was alive. Alive after being blasted full of holes. Alive after seeing a god's true form. Alive.

It was the combination of all the events that caused her to unsheathe her dagger and attack the half-conscious man. Knowing that he had regenerative abilities made her target his eyes. While he was able to repair multiple organs that were torn apart, the brain was much more delicate. If, and it was a big _if_ , the man survived, he would most likely be mentally damaged beyond repair. With all that in mind, her dagger traced a deadly arc through the air, moving straight and true.

She smirked slightly.

The smirk faltered and vanished completely when the man, even as battered as he was, reached out to grasp the dagger, effectively stopping it. Despite the act of holding the weapon in place causing yet more blood to drip from him, Annabeth numbly noticed that he didn't seem surprised. In fact, the act of self-defence had seemed to invigorate him, or at least wake him from his dazed state.

As the two grey eyes that had previously caused monsters to cower in fear and a god to hesitate flickered to her, she realized how hopelessly outmatched she was. His eyes were focused, but he looked bored, a far cry from the blazing silver-and-red they were while he was facing off Hades. It was like watching one of the oceans on Earth turn and _act_. Deep down to her core, Annabeth was terrified. She was swiftly disarmed of her dagger and fell backwards, the hard impact jolting her slightly.

The man(He said his name to Chiron. What was it?) dusted himself off slightly and looked at his clothes with slight irritation. Sighing, he stripped himself of his coat and folded it up neatly, draping it over his shoulder. Hesitating slightly, he shrugged and tore off the last pieces of his shirt. Thankfully, he was wearing a skin-tight black shirt under that(how did he not get burdened by all the layers of clothing?). Unfortunately, the shirt did nothing to conceal, but instead highlighted his well-defined muscles(she could hear some of the older campers whistle appreciatively). Seemingly done with his ministrations, he turned his gaze back to her.

"You want to kill me." the blunt tone he used contrasted greatly with his sentence. Opening her mouth to deny the statement, Annabeth paused, not knowing what to say. Somehow knowing that she would not argue, he stepped closer, ignoring the wary looks he drew from everyone around them. Kneeling down, he whispered into her ear, sending chills down her spine.

"Better and more powerful people than you have tried. You want to know what happened to them?" a smile had slowly formed on the monster's face, making his words all the more menacing.

It wasn't the snarl it wore when it was furious.

Nor the twisted grimace of mania.

It was the gentlest smile anything could ever produce. Made it look like an angel.

It was all the more terrifying.

Annabeth shook her head frantically as she propped herself up, making sure to stay a safe distance away from him(though she was sure _it_ could kill her without blinking). When she finished collecting herself, she found that most of the camp was looking at her now. She flushed and tried to make herself as small as possible. It wasn't her fault she was the only one who knew that the monster needed to be put down before it turned its attention to them to satisfy its bloodlust! Maybe she was being irrational, but better safe than sorry. She wouldn't want a knife in her back, literal or figurative. Chiron sent her a concerned glance, which she answered to silently. _Not now._ He seemed to register the message and after sending his affirmations, turned back to the elephant in the room and extended a hand. The demon looked at it curiously, before shrugging and accepting the hand.

"I thank you for saving us Kaneki Ken. Your strength is nothing I've seen before, what did you use to vanquish the monsters? And Hades of all gods? A mortal being able to do things the Greek heroes of old could only try to is very, very rare. You're the only one I've seen in quite a few decades." Chiron questioned, an uneasy, plastic smile on his face, trying to hide the fear and suspicion she knew everyone was harbouring.

"I'm not a regular mortal. That much should be obvious enough Chiron-san. As for my abilities…" Kaneki Ken trailed off, absentmindedly looking at the sky while his left thumb curled around a finger. A bone-chilling crack pierced through the silence, causing more than one person to flinch in shock. The gentle smile faded slightly, morphing into a darker form. His grey eyes, contrasting greatly with Annabeth's own pair, had an unknown emotion dancing in them.

"Let's just say some secrets are **best kept secret**." Chiron's gaze narrowed at the thinly veiled threat, a hand straying to the quiver always slung across his back. Kaneki Ken's eyes darted to the small action, as if having seen it, then his smile melted away and he regained an expressionless mask. Bowing slightly, he picked up the briefcase and started making his way into the woods where many monsters resided. Ignoring the shocked gazes of pretty much everyone, his methodical stride quickly took him to the edge of the dangerous place, before the woman who he had escorted to safety(along with her son(?)) called out to him.

"Kaneki, where are you going?" the woman had worry written across her face, which made Annabeth do a double-take. Did she not care that this… Kaneki had just shown his godlike fighting prowess and acted mentally unstable?

Kaneki Ken paused mid-stride, appearing to be thinking about something. He turned his head back briefly and a serene smile formed on his face.

"I'll be alright Sally-san."

After his brief sentence, Kaneki melted into the woods, disappearing silently and quickly, the black top he wore easily blending into the darkness. Just as he disappeared, someone cleared their throat. Whipping round to the sound, Annabeth and the rest of the camp hurriedly bowed as Hermes made his presence known, looking unnaturally serious.

"Lord Zeus has called for the camp. Hades showed up in the throne room heavily beaten and out of energy, claiming that a man he only knew as the 'Black Reaper' had dominated him in a fight and destroyed all the monsters Hades had sent to overwhelm the camp. Zeus declared that the whole of Camp Half-Blood would meet him in Olympus for questioning." Hermes wore a blank expression, not even caring that he had just stated that Hades had sent the monsters with the intention to wipe out his children and all the other demigods.

Annabeth felt a spike of anger in her and she knew that the emotion was making itself known in all of the demigods that could discern the hidden implications of his statement. Chiron hesitated, then nodded his consent. Without asking anyone to close their eyes, Hermes glowed brightly, about to reveal his divine form. Shielding her eyes, Annabeth reopened them to see the majestic beauty of the Olympian throne room. 12 gods(even Dionysus was awake), all towering over them and causing the air to crackle with power, sat in a circle around the group of campers plus Chiron. They gazed dispassionately at their offspring, seemingly concerned with other matters.

Zeus brought everyone's attention to him by firing a small lightning bolt into the air. Clearing his throat, he proceeded to ask questions in a booming voice.

"My brother has claimed that one man managed to defeat him. He also said that this man was a mortal. Is this true?"

Chiron looked around at the campers that were under his training, before nodding and proceeding to recount the whole incident. Annabeth noted the expressions quickly flashing across the gods' and goddesses' faces, some of them also casting glances at the clear sighted woman and her son(?). After the story was finished, Annabeth realized with startling clarity that the emotion most present on their faces was… _fear_? She shivered.

"Can anyone tell where this… Kaneki Ken currently is?"

Dionysus raised a hand almost lazily, "He appears to be in the woods of Camp Half-Blood. He has not moved from that area."

"Hades, do you know anything about this anomaly?" it was her own mother who spoke this time, curiosity and wariness clear in her tone. Her sentence turned Annabeth's attention to the god resting in a chair at the corner of the room, looking pale, but much better than during his fight. Hades stood up, wincing at his injuries before speaking in a clear tone.

"I have not met a 'Kaneki Ken' before. However, I have been annoyed by him countless times as the 'Black Reaper'. This male appears to be outside the influence of the Fates." Hades took a moment to let the implications sink in before continuing.

"Kaneki Ken has repeatedly broke into the Underworld, releasing souls from the Fields of Asphodel as he pleases and wrecking anarchy. He has caused several souls in the Fields of Punishment to disappear without a trace. From what little information I know about him, he is under the illusion that people he knew were in Asphodel. However, he has not seemed to be successful in finding them. With his name, Thanatos should be able to find the people connected to him." Hades snapped his fingers, Death appearing softly beside him. The god of death radiated an aura of sombrerity and the room's temperature seemed to drop. Thanatos scrolled through… a black Ipad? He stared bemusedly at his results before laughing softly before speaking, sounding melodious.

"Except for those he has killed, there are no souls linked to him. There are several living people that contain a connection to him though. There is one name that stands out."

The throne room was silent when the next two words rang out.

"Zoe Nightshade."

Artemis spluttered incredulously, as did several other gods and goddesses. Zeus, sensing the chaos brewing, called for order before issuing his orders.

"Kaneki Ken needs to be called in for questioning. Since he is currently in the woods of Camp Half-Blood, the hunters would be best suited for this mission."

His parting words sent the council into action.

"Zoe Nightshade will be detained by my daughter. The rest must find this man...or else."

 **That's all for this one. I would have churned out this chapter earlier, but I managed to injure myself twice in the span of a day and my mind isn't as sharp as it is while I'm running with five hours of restless sleep per night. I'm writing this as fast as I can as I require sleep, but I hope this chapter suits your expectations. The plot thickens as Kaneki seems to be more entwined with the Greeks than he first appeared to be… See you guys on the flip side!**


	5. When a Good Man Goes to War v2

**Hey guys. I'm back. Wish more people would review(I know people are reading this fic, but I need actual proof they like the story). Now, for both this story and Identities, I'll be setting up the stage before I dive into the main story. Thing with all the beautiful fics I've read(even the discontinued/abandoned ones), there was at least a semblance of background involved before the plot started. I'm sorry if this is boring.**

 **Superfanman217: You're welcome**

 **Neonlyphe: Not a bad idea. It depends on my decisions though. I feel Zoe has the most untapped potential as a character. I particularly liked her.**

 **Ari: Heh. Thanks.**

 **Yuna: XD**

 **Tempest Novastorm: Amen to thatx**

 **That's all for now. Read, review and I hope you enjoy the latest product of my twisted mind.**

Artemis didn't know what to think. The very fact that her oldest and most trusted huntress had a connection to the enigma that was the pig that had bested her uncle was disconcerting. Despite her firm mindset that all, well at least, most men were disgusting pigs who could only think about themselves, she knew, deep down that some of the male gods were definitely more powerful than she was. Despite the fact that her father was the youngest of the original gods and goddesses, his master bolt(which was currently missing) and his control over the sky made him a fearsome opponent. Poseidon and Hades could definitely match him in terms of power, so having a _mortal_ beat the oldest, most analytical one of the three was something that definitely needed to be taken seriously. She had seen the damage on her uncle, which to her horror, had shown little to no signs of healing even after the whole fight had finished. Gods could not "regenerate", but divine power made it so that wounds healed quickly and well, there was always her brother. Apollo was the best person they could possibly have as a medic but Hades was still under his care a few hours after his fight. Worrying. Artemis was determined to get to the bottom of the puzzle, even if it meant starting with her lieutenant.

She brought out her divine form, moving to where her huntresses had been setting up camp almost instantaneously. Brushing herself off(a human habit she picked up), she made her way to Zoe's tent, ignoring the questions of her other huntresses. Walking briskly through the entrance, she found her lieutenant twirling a knife in her hand, almost as if in boredom. Zoe looks up from her ministrations and gives her a questioning glance, silently asking about the grim look on her face. Looking around, Artemis snapped her fingers, sealing the entrance and making sure to make the tent completely soundproof. Precautions done, she drags a chair over for herself and sits down, stomach churning.

She knows this is going to be a long talk.

"Zoe, I need to ask you a few things."

"Milady… you're acting suspicious." Artemis noted her change in speaking. She never stopped using old English, but when she got stressed or at seemingly random occasions, she'd speak in regular English. Interesting. Did she learn it from "Ken Kaneki"? And if so, why? What did this unknown male have with one of her most loyal huntresses that made her trust him? Could Zoe have been lying to her about her past? Artemis' thoughts darkened with her mood, fists clenching until they were about to draw ichor from her veins. Finally noticing that Zoe's hand had strayed to a small pouch on her belt(she decided to make changes to her outfit about a few years ago), Artemis shook herself out of her daze, forcing a smile on her face.

Both knew that the smile was merely a disguise. Both said nothing about it.

"Zoe, what do you know about a male known as Ken Kaneki?" had Artemis not been a goddess and blessed with heightened senses, she would not have seen the slight narrowing of her eyes and what seemed like her mouth twitching, trying to form a smile while the owner forced it down. That confirmed it. Zoe Nightshade had connections to the mysterious mortal that had enough power to defeat one of the original gods and walk away from it unscathed(well, not really unscathed, but it's the thought that counts).

"Milady, I know of no such person. Why would you ask me about a _pig_?" Zoe played the "baffled and innocent" card pretty well, but her own microexpressions had already betrayed her from the start of the interrogation. Artemis could feel her own temper rising as Zoe lied. Gritting her teeth, Artemis spat out the next sentence.

" _Because_ , this _pig_ you speak of has just defeated _Hades_ and recovered from certain death in _minutes_. My father has ordered the hunters to bring him in for questioning and Thanatos stated that _you_ have a connection to this male." She could see Zoe's confidence falter briefly, before a sardonic smile formed on her face. The previous satisfaction at seeing Zoe's facade get destroyed was replaced with a small inkling of nervousness. Who would smile after hearing that one of their friends was about to be cruelly hunted down and most likely killed? Zoe knew first-hand how efficient the Hunt was. Zoe tilted her head slightly, as if considering her next words. Artemis leaned forward, expecting a thorough confession and explanation, which would most likely be followed with Zoe's death or banishment from the Hunt.

"I see. Well, there's no reason to hide it now. Yes, I do know Ken Kaneki. As for why, it's complicated. Zeus wants to send my sisters after him? Well, there's only one piece of advice I can give you." Zoe's eyes darkened and the smile on her face stretched wider. If Artemis had seen the Black Reaper in action, she might have noted the similarities between their speech patterns and body language. Right now, however, Artemis felt a small twinge of fear at her lieutenant's sudden flip in personality.

"Don't. It'll be a massacre." her piece said, Zoe relaxed, holding out her hands lazily. Seeing the confused look on Artemis' face, she answered the unspoken question.

"Aren't I being charged with treason against Olympus? Surely I'd be a useful...bargaining chip, don't you think?"

"Zoe…"

"Let me tell you something Milady. I have never regretted anything I have done on behalf of Kaneki. This wouldn't be any different. Go ahead. _Try me_."

Speechless at her lieutenant's blatant dismissal, Artemis swallowed. She could feel anger welling up in her. To think that Zoe, of all people, had been corrupted by the influence of a _male_. Though Zoe had given a very clear warning about fighting Kaneki Ken, Artemis knew that she would still be following her father's orders. Not just because this _pig_ was a definite threat to Olympus(and most likely had something to do with the missing Master Bolt), but also because she now had a personal reason to put him in his place. Raising her hand, Artemis paused when Zoe shook her head and gave her a sad smile.

"Honestly Milady? I think you'll like him." the sentence gave her pause, then her resolve hardened.

Snapping her fingers and transporting Zoe to her temple back on Olympus(she would be isolated in a room with access to food and water, nothing more.) Interrogating Zoe had gotten her nowhere. She knew that in order to get all the answers she required, she would need to get them from the source of the whole problem. Despite her usual calm composure, her hands were now trembling with anticipation. Stepping out of the tent, she cleared her throat, drawing the attention of all the hunters, who promptly stopped what they were doing to listen. Artemis smiled.

"Girls, it's time for another Hunt."

Chiron was conflicted. Looking at the different expressions flickering on his campers' faces, he wondered how the gods would react to the new "threat". While he didn't like the fact that Hades had been ready to destroy Camp Half-Blood just to get two people(the newcomer and the dead man walking) and the gods/goddesses being fine with him nearly killing all their children( _there would be more after all_ ), he could tell how dangerous Kaneki was. It wasn't his mysterious physique nor the sword he carried( _I've heard about those_ ), but it was the heavy aura that was emitted. More suffocating than most gods he had met, the deadly miasma around him carried only one message. _Stay away_.

Honestly, in all his years(he'd been around for a long, long time), the number of individuals that he had met who were similar to the newcomer could be counted on one hand. Even so, he had never met someone who felt so...out of place. The constant look of loss in his eyes was apparent to anyone who counted as a survivor.

It was the look of a person who had nothing to live for, yet was still alive. It chilled Chiron to the bone that such a young man had the eyes that he had only seen on the veterans of war, who ended up carrying their fallen friends back to the trenches they came from. Throughout their first meeting, the man had maintained a polite and friendly attitude, even apologizing about Thalia(though he did not know her) and immediately putting himself in danger to save the camp from apparent destruction. While he held grey eyes similar to those of the children of Athena, they held a clarity that was different from the children. They were also more sedate, lifeless despite their brightness. But when he started fighting…

It was like watching one of the gods(while they were at their peak) decide to act instead of watching with boredom. His fighting style was efficient, as if he knew his own limits( _he had met them, hadn't he?_ ) and was tailoring how he killed according to those limitations. Each swing promised at least one fatality and three different opponents getting maimed. It was not the skillful way a master fought, not the hesitant way a beginner struck and definitely not the desperate way a scared person lashed out.

It was almost suicidal. Leaving himself open in order to capitalize his opponents' mistakes at the last moment meant he was either very arrogant or very used to surviving hopeless situations. Chiron had spent his whole life training those that he saw potential in, just to grit his teeth and restrain his tears when they came back with pieces of them missing or **didn't come back at all**. He looked up as a bright flash caught his attention. Glancing towards it, he saw Artemis surrounded by her Hunt(and he noted that Zoe Nightshade was not amongst them). When Artemis strode towards him, he wordlessly gestured to the area of the forest that they were sure Kaneki was in. They had made sure to box him in with magic(kudos to the gods for that) and the Hunt was going to be the clean-up crew. If they failed(they probably would), Artemis herself would go in to take him in, only the "alive" rule would be reduced to "barely alive". He could feel his fingers twitching at the unfairness of the situation. Choosing not to even give Artemis the basic courtesy that that everyone should give gods, he turned his back on the new arrivals, moving towards the campfire. Watching it, the lifeless purple shade seemed to reflect the situation at hand perfectly. Smiling bitterly, he turned back to look at the party currently making their way into the "death trap".

 _I have a feeling this is going to go badly._

* * *

Having briefed her Hunters on the current situation, Artemis was pleased to see that they were working like a well-oiled machine. Some were already spreading out, encircling the area in which their target was located. Others prepared non-lethal traps(though some allowance had been given) and the final squad of huntresses began moving straight into the forest, choosing to stay in trios for maximum efficiency without risking getting taken out one by one. With all the preparations done, Artemis made her way into her personal tent(which had been set up, along with the others), pausing briefly to scan the forest with her senses to find auras. She could feel the familiar, comforting auras of her Hunters spread out throughout the woods, with several mildly bothering monster auras appearing and disappearing sporadically. Searching more carefully, she felt a rising panic when the anomaly known as Kaneki Ken was nowhere to be located. Instead of a definite aura however, the forest was cloaked in a dense fog that resembled a light red in her mind's eye. She shrugged it off, smirk growing on her face as she fell backwards onto the bed in her tent, closing her eyes in satisfaction.

There were two possible cases when an aura was non-existent. One, the person had been there recently but had gone. This possibility could be dismissed immediately. The second option that caused her confidence to skyrocket was that the person was too _weak_. Apparently, the pig was a weakling who most likely obtained a powerful weapon if his aura was not perceivable. Hades must have been overwhelmed by the weapon, not the person. She chuckled. Mentally checking the time, she knew that her Hunters would most likely find and secure the target in a matter of minutes, but she would give them the leeway of an hour and a half just because the forest was big. Plus, it would allow them to...have some fun. Yawning despite herself, the goddess closed her eyes and drifted off to...wherever gods/goddesses go when they sleep.

She opened her eyes in a landscape of white. Looking around the blank space, she scratched her head in confusion. Reaching out a hand to materialize her divine weapon, she found that she couldn't. Eyes darting around as she unslung her regular bow and notched an arrow, she made her way across the world. Footsteps echoing loudly, she started noticing splotches of red on the ground. Leaning down, she dipped a finger in the unknown substance. No prizes for guessing what it was. Following the trail carefully, the puddles slowly grew bigger and multiplied, soon covering the whole ground. Wrinkling her nose, she stepped gently, grimacing at the syrupy feel of the new ground. Previous anxiety forgotten, she kicked something. Shifting her gaze, she found the links of a chain. Eyes tracing the path, she noted the weird flowers blooming where it touched the ground, following it to a chair and a shackled leg. Gaze inching upwards, she found the prone form of a white-haired male, looking beaten up and head lowered. Moving closer to the unknown man, she had made it close enough to tell that he was breathing when he groaned and looked up.

A pair of mismatched eyes met startled silver orbs. They widened, then returned to a normal state. Artemis took in the look of fatigue on his face and the abnormal _red_ eye with what seemed to be cracks webbing out from it. The male smiled. She fumed, his actions seemed odd for a person currently shackled to a chair meeting another armed one.

"Welcome. I hope that you'll pay attention to everything I say. My name is Kaneki Ken." her thought processes screeched to a halt and she quickly fired an arrow, aiming for the red eye. It sank in quickly, eliciting a grunt from Kaneki Ken as his head was pinned to the chair he was trapped in. The mirth in his eyes lost, he jerked his head forward, tearing it out of the arrow. She winced and prepared another.

"That wasn't very nice. Now, I didn't think that you would be in here, but since you are, it's better for me. Now, I know that the gods are angry with me. So be it. What I don't like is that they've sent people to hunt me. _Me_. I'll give you two choices. One, you call off the Hunt and leave, then I will willingly come with you. If not… It's your Hunt against me. What's it going to be?"

Artemis growled. Originally, she would have immediately selected choice A, but this _pig_ was so full of confidence that she had to burst his bubble. Quickly notching the arrow, she let loose a volley, hitting him in ten different places. The body jerked, then slumped forward. She spat at him, then turned to leave. Only, before she could, a pale hand closed around her wrist. The owner was bleeding rapidly, blood practically gushing out from every opening. To her dismay, the surroundings seemed to be filling with blood as well. It was soon at her knee level, than her waist, then inching up towards her nose. Struggling to break free, she tore at the hand still holding her, only for it to come off at the arm. Struggling not to retch, she swam her way to the surface.

A disembodied head bobbed to the surface. The cordial expression had been replaced by a hysterical grin.

" **GUESS THAT'S A NO."**

Artemis shot up in bed just in time for Phoebe to enter her tent.

"Milady! You have to h-" the rest of her sentence was cut off when she was bisected. The two halves of her flopping to the ground, organs spilled out from their places and blood stained each and every inch. Brimming with rage, she looked to the perpetrator, only to blanch.

It was Kaneki Ken.

" **YOU!"**

" _Yes. ME."_

 **That's all for this chapter. Sorry for the late posting, my school just bombarded me with four different projects at once and my group mates aren't being very helpful. Needless to say, sleep is but a dream now. I'll be sticking to my schedule. That's a promise I won't break. Shiro signing off for the day.**


	6. Night will Fall and Dark will Rise v2

**Hey guys. While I'm writing this, I know this will be coming out late. Again. I'm not over my set time limit, but I feel like a giant failure for not churning these chapters out fast enough because of school stuff. Been juggling even more projects that my teammates are supposed to be leading. Nothing a good cup of coffee won't solve. Onwards!**

 **Tempest Novastorm: Great to see you again** _ **and**_ **that you like the chapter.**

 **Zoepeanut: Chapterly reviews are fine, just um… more feedback?**

 **Just-A-Bit-Odd, The True Wild Thing, HunterXKiller87, DireProphet and RubyTheGhoul: Thank you all for your outstanding support. I'll try to keep writing like I've been doing.**

 **Sakamaki Suzuku: No problem. The main reason I joined was because too many fanfics still ignored side characters. Zoe is...interesting to me.**

 **Yin Xiao Long: Much appreciated criticism, was wondering when someone like you would turn out. Now, I'm not OPing Kaneki. It may seem a lot like it, but it'll make sense eventually(and I'm pretty sure some guys have figured this out). If you still don't like it, meh.**

 **Guest: You'll just have to read this, don't you?**

 **Imperial Gilgamesh: Will do my best good sir, keep reviewing and criticizing, that'll help me a lot.**

 **Got more reviews than I expected. Thanks for the support guys. Knowing that people enjoy my work is more than enough to keep me going. And now, the first** _ **actual**_ **fight of this fanfic.**

The two regarded each other with narrow eyes. The fresh corpse in between them bled onto the floor, causing Artemis to shiver slightly when the cool liquid made contact with her foot, rage bubbling and threatening to boil over and destroy the whole camp in order to get rid of the threat. She resisted the urge. She still didn't know how many of her precious Hunters were still alive. _For now,_ she decided, _she would only focus on the danger in front of her._ She compared the figure in front of her to the one she had seen in her dream(?). Same white hair, same haggard look in his dull eyes, same slight smile that wavered every few seconds… The main difference was that his eyes were still the same colour, though she could see cracks starting to branch out from one of them and disappear continuously if she squinted hard enough. The sword he held pulsed with an unnatural light, seemingly swelling up as its tip rested in the blood of her fallen Huntress. She snarled and unsheathed both hunting knives. He smirked and drew the sword back, slipping into a stance that she could recognize as fencing. Odd. If he was able to heft such a sword with one hand and maintain it in such a form, he most likely had some form of augmented strength. _But,_ she knew, _he was mortal, for she could not sense any hint of divine essence._ And that made him an oddity. Usually, when a mortal gained incredible strength, it came with a large cost. Whether it be their humanity, sanity, they had a huge weak spot that could be seized to destroy them easily.

Unfortunately, the weakness of Kaneki Ken was something she couldn't perceive. Just from a cursory glance, he looked like a regular human being, if you ignored the hybrid sword and the slightly maniacal smirk gracing his face. She was leaning towards the option that he had lost his sanity along the path towards his strength. But then, the... _interesting_ conversation they had stated otherwise(no madman could handle social interactions that well), so she could safely conclude that if he was mad, it wasn't the type to consume and control. Flipping her knives into reverse grips, she darted forward, feinting for his eyes, then his legs and throwing one while lunging for an artery in his neck with the other. She needed to end this quickly so she could assess the remains of her camp. _And_ the little fact that he beat Hades so bad that he had to resort to divine essence made underestimating him seem very, very lethal. So, when her thrown knife lodged into his wrist joint(conveniently forcing him to drop his weapon) and the other one tore through his neck like a hot knife(pardon the pun) through butter, she retrieved them as fast as possible before stepping out of the tent, making sure to avoid the

sudden spray of blood.

She walked out to fire. Everywhere. The silver tents were closer to a charred brown. Bodies littered the ground, mangled and ruined, as if they had been torn apart with hands, teeth and brute strength instead of the elegant, almost surgical precision Kaneki Ken had demonstrated on Phoebe. _Was there more than one enemy?_ She took a few minutes to make a quick check of the surroundings, blurring in and out of existence as she abused her godly speed to the best of its ability. Seeing no one(but still wary), she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, reaching out with her divine senses yet again. The thick, oppressing aura was still there(it worried her, that meant that Kaneki Ken wasn't the main threat) but she couldn't feel anything other than that. Swallowing hard, she resheathed her knives and readied her bow, trekking carefully. She relaxed slightly after moving round the camp several times, making sure to check the trees(and being greeted with the sight of several more of her Hunters, eyes staring unseeingly into the foliage, as if able to see the moon) and any other possible hiding spots. There was no one in the proximity of the flickering ruins of her camp.

 **So why did she feel like something was wrong?**

Replacing her bow and arrow, she carefully picked up each corpse and laid them in a straight line in the clearing(the center of her camp) and silently prayed for each and every one of them, feeling numb and exhausted as the adrenaline shock had finally worn off. Artemis fought back tears as she prepared the proper burial rights before raising her hand in preparation to set the bodies on fire as well. It stung, hard, that a weakling that had single-handedly wiped out what was the Olympians' equivalent of special forces, maidens that she had handpicked and trained, had fallen from a single blow to the neck, just like she was squashing an ant.

 **She would have made him suffer greatly if she knew what he had done.**

Just before she could snap her fingers, someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind. Turning around in hopeful surprise that one or more of her Hunters had survived, only to blanch in shock. A red sea spreading around behind him, Kaneki Ken stared blankly at her, head dangling to one side as the tear in his neck acted like a hinge(while his life essence still trickled from it, how much blood did he have?). Tracing the origins of the liquid staining the grass, she noticed that it led from her tent, haphazard footprints leading round and round the camp, as if he had been pacing in circles( _behind her_ ). How had she not noticed the presence till he made himself noticed? Reactions slowed by the odd circumstances, she tried to move for her weapons, yet remained rooted to the ground as the emotionless machine slowly formed a smile, which widened and widened(oh gods, his cheeks were tearing apart) until he was _literally_ grinning from ear to ear, the single eye not hidden beneath his hair glistened with untapped rage(yet they held a startling clarity).

He made a sudden motion and the sword in his hand, previously, seemingly invisible, was angled at her chest. Drawing back his hand(and clasping his other around it), he brought the weapon down in a powerful overhead swing, cleaving easily through the front of her chest and causing the ground to tremor with the impact. Crying out in shock, she summoned her hunting knives(no time, **no time** ) and stabbed both of them towards his eyes as he made to withdraw his sword from the ground in which it had made a new home in. She felt a sick sense of satisfaction when the knives struck true and plunged into his fleshy organs, causing him to shriek and jerk back, off balance. Looking like a weird insect with two daggers wedged in his once eyes, he threw back his head and laughed. It sounded like splicing the screams of ten different people and turning those screams into laughter. He cackled eerily and reached up to pull the two daggers out. Naturally, Artemis used this pause as an advantage. Dashing towards him much similarly to what she had done earlier, she drew her bow and fired continuously, feeling her arm muscles start to strain from the speed of her movements. Luckily, she was using her divine weapon and the bow didn't break into pieces or have the string snap from the sheer force of the godly arrows. They snapped into several points across his body, her having ditched vital points(the constant bleeding he was undergoing stated very clearly that he wasn't regular), they peppered his body with holes, heads pushing through flesh and muscle and bone as they reappeared on the other side. And yet, he still laughed, until an arrow caught him through the throat, shearing off most of the remaining parts connecting his head to the rest of his (severely damaged)body.

At this point, the laughter cut off sharply, Kaneki Ken physically pressing down on his head to prevent it from falling off, which made for a morbidly comical sight. He used his free hand to tear away the daggers in his eyes, somehow looking right at her(he didn't have sight anymore, _how could he see her?_ ) and throwing them with an almost cat-like grace considering the injuries he harboured. Cursing mentally as they hit her in her midsection, she winced as the knives easily slipped into the deep wound from earlier and started tearing up her insides with every movement she made. Nevertheless, Artemis pushed on, eager to figure out how long it would take the monster to break under her attacks before she collapsed. She sliced towards his head, aiming to cleave his skull in half while he was…um...distracted. The blade arched towards it, only to be dodged with an effortless tilt of the head. Not giving up, she slashed wildly, making full use of both daggers to attack him in blind spots(although his whole body was one big blind spot by now) and trying her best to upset his concentration to go in for the kill.

She subsequently got annoyed when he performed several feats of almost impossible stunts to show off his flexibility. **While blind**. He batted away her knives by the flat of their blades almost gently, as if he weren't in a fight for his life and still having to hold on to his head to prevent it from toppling off his shoulders. Shifting left and right, he almost looked like he was leaving afterimages of himself for her to slice through while the real version of him escaped safely. Throughout their fight, his previously white hair(now covering both his hollow sockets) was stained a brownish red by the sheer amount of blood it was absorbing. The smell of iron steadily grew stronger, causing bile to rise up and burn the back of her throat while she felt a steady pain in her stomach get more intense, which made her falter from time to time, costing her more stamina as her opponent struck her wounds with deft kicks when she was distracted. Growling, Artemis took a final desperate lunge at her enemy, ignoring the fact that his limbs were striking her again and again.

Driving her knives into him for the umpteenth time, she pulled them in opposite directions, aiming to carve his whole body into two pieces. She almost succeeded.

 **Almost.**

Kaneki Ken released his head and gripped her wrists tightly, stopping her from moving immediately. As she attempted to use her divine strength to break free, he squeezed her wrist joints.

 **Hard.**

She let go of her weapons as a blinding pain descended onto her. Screaming in anguish, all coherent thoughts vacated her mind as she tugged frantically, feeling her bones fracture and _splinter_ with the pressure that Kaneki Ken was applying. Tumbling backwards as soon as the man released her, she gasped when he finally brushed his hair out of his eyes. To reveal two _new eyes_. The right one was finally a different colour, sclera black like someone had dipped an ink pen into his eye and let the colour cover it entirely while his pupil was a dark red with veins webbing out from it, the patterns erratic and odd to look at. His hands made tugging motions and while his sword flew from behind her(and the hilt smashing into her temple along the way), the other caused both of the knives still in her to rip flesh as they made their way through the air and to his other hand. He gripped both of them between his knuckles, a warped version of the knuckle-dusters she often saw on other male _pigs_ , with the remains of his eyeballs still stuck onto them. Meeting her gaze, his eyes showed glee as he shoved the daggers into his mouth, making slurping sounds as he... _cleaned_ the blades. So he was a cannibal as well.

She made to stand up, wrists mending at an agonizingly slow rate when she felt things wrap around her and press tightly into her skin. Wincing, she looked down, and through a haze of pain saw… _strings_? They were as fine as spider silk, but glowed a dull red like the pupil Kaneki Ken had recently revealed. Snapping her eyes back to the perpetrator, she noticed dully that he had dropped his weapons and was making elaborate motions, corresponding with the tightening of the threads and other blurs of motion in the air as more threads latched on to her and binded her. Trying to tear them apart, she found with growing horror that they melded back together as soon as she broke them. As he made a crushing gesture, she felt the strings start to **eat** at her and struggled even harder. Soon enough, the strings forced her to curl into a ball on the ground, energy exhausted.

Not even being able to raise her gaze to spite the clear winner of her fight, she realized dimly that he hadn't even given it his all when fighting her. The footsteps moved closer to her head, then she could see the faint outline of Kaneki Ken sitting down in front of her. A smooth, pale hand gripped the underside of her chin and raised her head to meet his eyes, strings loosening enough that it wouldn't hurt for her. Slipping in and out of consciousness, her last sight was a wane smile and a kind, almost gentle gaze settling on her. She felt him brush her hair with his fingers as she fell into the darkness.

"You fought well, I can see where Zoe gets it from."

Somehow, that last sentence was reassuring.

 **Says I'm not making Kaneki overpowered, then gives him a new ability. A cookie to whoever can figure out how his new powers tie in to his original one. Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Thanks for the support. Cheerio!**


	7. What's the Cost? v1

**Hey guys. This will be my last update to the two main stories for a while. Sorry that you have to wait. I got an interesting review for the last chapter, which will be addressed below. Now, here's a message in general. I don't mind flames. I don't mind them when they are constructive(like the one I received, thank you). But if it ever boils down to petty insults...you'd be glad you don't know me.**

 **Edelhart: That was an interesting post. Now, I've said this before, Kaneki is not being overpowered. I've been rearranging the PJO reality so that things naturally fall in his favor. And for how long it's going to go on, well, this chapter will be the aftermath of his little crusade. Intriguing way of how to build a universe around an overpowered character. I'll keep that in mind for future reference. Thanks for the ideas!**

 **Sakamaki Suzuku: You guys deserve much better than me. Thanks for the reassurance though. :)**

 **Zoepeanut: Np.**

 **Tempest Novastorm: Thanks!**

 **Pokemonrot777, Guest: Sure.**

 **Right, as I've said above, I was already planning for this chapter to slow down(well, not really planning but whatever). It should contain more words than usual, cause I'm going to need lots more dialogue and maybe some slight relationship builders. Here we go.**

Artemis woke up in a bed. Staring blankly at the ceiling, she wondered why she was still alive. Kaneki Ken had beaten her. Beaten Hades. Why hasn't he beaten the rest of the gods yet? Sitting up, she winced when her muscles screamed at her for the motion and the stitches in her stomach threatened to rip apart. Moving very slowly, she got to her feet by using a pillar for support and tried to walk(hobble) to the door without causing herself more harm. Honestly? She should have seen this coming. If Kaneki Ken was strong enough to wound the Lord of the Underworld for hours even with the help that he had been given by her brother, she would be feeling the consequences of her wounds against him for a day or more. Pushing the door open, she was startled to see the rather familiar sight of Camp Half-Blood. Only it was partially destroyed. The pine tree that marked the boundaries of the camp looked withered, almost dead. Feeling it more than seeing it, she noted the fractured borders that had kept the monsters at bay. Judging by the sheer amount of monster dust, the hordes that Kaneki Ken had killed weren't the only monsters which had tried to enter the camp. For some reason, there was no one in sight. _Guess someone evacuated the campers and Chiron._

Some of the cabins were partially destroyed, bearing traces of claw marks and brutality. Summoning her bow(and ignoring how much she ached when she did so), she walked through the camp, looking for signs of a struggle or a fight. But that was just it. Despite all the destruction, there was not a single drop of blood to be found. Nor a dead half-blood. There were broken weapons strewn around the place, but no owners. Finally reaching the campfire, she immediately took aim at the white-haired figure sitting in front of the fire. She saw no marks of the injuries he had previously gotten from her, his abnormal sword was embedded in the ground next to him and he was fiddling with a hunting knife(which he had probably been from her) while talking. His voice was too quiet for her to hear what he was talking about(or who he was talking to) but she saw a hint of a contented smile on his face. As if responding to a sixth-sense, he looked up from his ministrations, seeing her for the first time since she entered his field of vision. The smile dissolving like salt in water, he rose to his feet, carefully slotting the knife into a sheathe on his side. Pulling the sword out of the ground nonchalantly, he met her gaze, almost as if he was daring her to make a move. She swallowed, the memories of what happened a few hours ago(probably) running through her head. She couldn't beat him while his head was hanging on to his shoulders by a thread _and_ he had two knives in his eyes. So how could she even fight him while injured?

Sighing in defeat, Artemis dropped her bow and raised her hands in surrender. Arching an eyebrow at the abrupt action, Kaneki Ken nodded curtly, stabbing the sword back into the ground and sitting down. He returned to his previous state, oblivious to the world around him and mumbling to the fire in front of him. Needless to say, Artemis didn't take it very kindly. She might have just had her pride dented and cut down without much strength on his part, but she still didn't like how the male treated her.

"What are you doing here? Why am I not dead?"

"I was bored. I was amusing myself and waiting for you to recuperate from your injuries. Yes, I treated you. I'd say the reason is that I'm trying to be kind and show mercy to a defeated enemy _but_ I know that Zoe is still trapped somewhere. So I'll offer you my deal again." His expression darkened suddenly at the mention of Zoe's captive state but cleared as he waited for her to respond. Swallowing, she snapped at him bitterly.

"Your previous deal doesn't matter anymore. My Hunt is...they're all dead! They're all dead **because of you**. YOU KILLED THEM!" her voice rose in intensity as she fought to keep the sadness from bleeding into her tone. The fresh corpses of what she had considered as daughters were still imprinted in her mind. Kaneki Ken winced at her answer, snapping his fingers, almost as if he just remembered something.

"Ah yes, that. Well...what if I say that I can bring them back? I'll be nice. Since you seem like you're about to pass out again, you take me to Olympus. As long as you stop any other gods from smiting me, I'll come peacefully. We can negotiate the terms and conditions there." She could feel a deep, numbing sense of shock. How could a _mortal_ be able to bring back the dead? The dead stayed dead. But... _he wasn't a regular mortal last time she checked._ Clinging on to one last shred of hope, she nodded, causing Kaneki Ken to smile widely and extend a hand. Hesitating, she extended her own, reaching for his and clasping it. Taking a deep breath, she summoned the remains of her divine strength and flashed them to Olympus.

Upon reaching the familiar environment of the throne room, a wave of nausea struck her. Stumbling(and hearing various shouts of alarm and concern), she was about to collapse(painfully) when the male still holding on to her quickly propped her back up with a tug. As the room stopped spinning, she gagged at the taste of bile in her throat before giving Kaneki Ken a brief nod of thanks. Scanning the room, she noticed that pretty much every one of the 12 Olympians was there. _And_ staring blankly at the new arrival.

Blink.

Blink.

Blink.

The awkward silence exploded into noise as various gods made to attack Kaneki Ken while others barked orders to subdue the man. Disorientated by the sudden change of atmosphere, Artemis could feel a headache pulsing, growing in intensity by the second. As the noise reached a fever pitch, a cold, dark voice shattered the noise like glass. She shivered.

" **Enough."**

Eyes suddenly blazing with fury and disdain, he unsheathed the hunting knife from earlier and threw it into the floor. The screech of metal against the ceramic tiles on the floor caused the gods and goddesses to clap their hands over their ears. Unfortunately for Artemis, her hands were too busy holding onto Kaneki Ken to keep herself upright for her to react fast enough. Unconsciously, she let out a small squeak of surprise, drawing the looks of the rest of her family and the amused gaze of the man beside her. Flushing in embarrassment, she steeled herself, preparing to convince the Council to not kill the arrogant idiot standing next to her. Only to be cut off by her father.

"What is the meaning of this? Why did you bring the threat to Olympus?"

"He said...he said that he could bring back the Hunt."

"Preposterous! No mortal holds any influence over death. That is within the power of a god!"

"You've clearly not seen what he's done."

"Are you defending this man? You?"

"I've fought him. My Hunt fought him. Hades fought him. Look what happened to all of us."

"..."

"He wishes to speak to you. Speak to you all."

"I think that we should just kill him."

"Father!"

"A vote to decide the fate of the Black Reaper! Who wishes to kill him?"

Zeus promptly raised his hand, followed by Ares, Demeter, Hera and Apollo. Rage overtaking his expression as he looked at the rest of the Council, he asked, "Why shouldn't we kill him?"

"I need to figure out what he did to the souls of the dead."

"He is an interesting person."

"How could I kill such a handsome man?"

"That weapon of his looks fun."

"He saved Camp Half-Blood."

"He saved my son and wife. People who were only put in danger because of you."

"The brat saved my Camp. As much as I hate it, I've developed an attachment to the people there."

"He didn't kill me."

Defeated, Zeus looked at Kaneki Ken, not missing the smirk on his face. Face flushing even redder due to what seemed like a mixture on embarrassment and anger, he questioned the man, "Will you not bow before the gods?"

"No. You just want me to bow to you so that you can sate your ego. I only bow to those I respect. You are not one of them."

Ouch. Chuckles came from several of the gods and goddesses, concealed poorly behind their hands and lousy poker faces. Artemis quickly stepped in front of Kaneki Ken, seeing her father's already red face darken, now sporting a purplish sheen she had only seen before on Dionysus. Hopefully Zeus was still sane enough to reign in his anger and avoid smiting a mortal on the spot just because he insulted him. Actually...her father had done worse for lesser reasons than that. Maybe she shouldn't be protecting this man.

Plus, she could get struck if she stood in the way. And in the condition she was in… it was hard to tell whether she'd survive a blow.

 _He says he can save the Hunt._ _ **He's lying.**_ _How can you tell?_ _ **He's a pig. Pigs lie to survive.**_ _He beat me._ _ **Using trickery.**_ _It's still a defeat._ _ **So?**_ _I still owe him a debt that needs to be repaid, you know how mortals are like when gods own them debts._ _ **...Fair enough.**_

She smirked shallowly. _Guess he infected me with his madness._ _ **You're talking to yourself. Of course he did.**_ Banishing her thoughts, she found her father standing up to his full height, even making himself much taller. Lightning crackled in his hand, something which drew the attention of everyone in the room. While they may seem threatening and powerful at a first glance, one familiar with Zeus could tell the difference. The lightning seemed feebler, less "electric blue" and paler. While the sparks were plentiful, they faded quickly, popping out of existence slightly faster than Zeus could summon them. It was draining his energy reserves more than he'd like to admit it, with his Symbol of Power missing, it was harder, much harder to control his domains.

 _Unfortunately, none of us bothered to learn how to control our domains without our Symbols._

Looking back to Kaneki Ken, she sent a pleading look towards him, trying to get him to stop, only to pause when she saw his eyes drawn towards the electricity cradled in Zeus' palm. The reflection of the lighting flickered and danced in his eyes, them taking on a gleam that she had only seen when he started fighting. Extending a wary hand, she prodded him in the chest, snapping him out of his little reverie. He offered an unreadable expression before walking(much to everyone's surprise) to the Hearth. He plopped himself on the floor in front of it, leaning backwards and letting the fire lick at his hair. Before anyone could protest, he lifted a finger to his lips, basking in the warmth of the Hearth. She saw a content smile curve his lips, before it smoothed into a thin line as Zeus started ranting. Only this time he didn't cut him off. Hera stopped her husband, stating that "they should probably hear the mortal out."

Beaming at the acknowledgement, Kaneki Ken opened his mouth. Then paused, tilting his ear towards the flames, as if listening to them. He muttered something, a displeased expression crossing his face before he nodded sharply. Interesting. While he might just have been listening to himself(he looked like he had multiple personalities), the choice of sitting in front of the Hearth and _listening_ to its _flames_ indicated a deeper connection between Kaneki Ken and the godly world. Well, she only knew one god that fit the criteria that she had been creating in her head. Or rather, one goddess. _Should I say this out loud?_ _ **Best not to do that until we have a concrete plan.**_

"I have three terms. One, I require the freedom of Zoe Nightshade. Two, I ask you all to swear a vow to not hurt me or anyone I deem untouchable. Three, I need information. If you meet all these three terms, I will surrender myself peacefully and help your cause."

"And what makes you think that we need your help **mortal**?"

"For starters, you need a hero to get back your Master Bolt. Yes, that Master Bolt. Yes, I know about it. No, I am not working for whoever you are preparing to fight, who's name I shall not mention."

"How did you guess it out?"

"You're the goddess of Wisdom, you should know."

"Frankly, I do, but the evidence points to you being mortal and you being mortal would make you unable to draw that conclusion."

"Funny you should say that. I had a friend once, best detective I ever met. Could tell whether someone was hiding something from a casual conversation. He would have deduced this faster than me." Kaneki chuckled. "I'm nowhere near his level but I know how to read people. Just not as well as before. Haven't been around for a while." Kaneki pulled back a knuckle and paused for a few seconds before slowly uncurling it. The happiness in his eyes died away, turning into a cold look. Only instead of the usual burning anger hidden beneath his fragile facade, Artemis could see a hint of what looked like loneliness. It was quickly smothered and extinguished and while she might have been imagining it, she almost felt like his eyes or at least his gaze had sharpened. They were now angled at the Goddess of Wisdom, a clinical look in them that definitely unnerved Athena, judging from how her own aloof gaze began wavering as the stare down continued. When he broke his gaze, an almost invisible relaxation of her shoulders was what let Artemis know for certain that Athena was either afraid or wary of the enigma.

"Since you guys don't have any ideas to vouch, I'll put it simply. I have my sources. They've been telling me of a brewing war, one that will tear apart the world and awake forces that shouldn't be awoken. I've been going around and quashing as many rumours as possible, but I can't control them all. I am but a man, aren't I? That's what you've been telling yourselves."

The postures of the 12(+1) Olympians stiffened and some hands went for weapons while others prepared to cast their magic. The tension in the air quivered like the taut string of a bow, ready for a single action to tip the scales. And basking in the cautious air was the one who caused it himself, posture lazy and relaxed, not even reaching for the knife he had returned to his sheathe without anyone noticing. _And_ , Artemis noticed, _he had left his weapon back in Camp Half-Blood_. His expression was amused, almost saying, _all this for me?_ He was being rather smug about being caught in a situation that would lead to his demise. Zeus, still standing, was ready to bellow at the mortal, as tiny as an elf compared to his full godly height when a sudden string of actions caught them all off guard.

The fire of the Hearth had been simmering, their tender not participating, seemingly distracted, but now it was crackling with intention. The warm orange that radiated calm and serenity was replaced by a striking blue, warning and anger rolling off them in waves. The flames had grown in height and severity, the heat it emanated causing slight breathing difficulties and the floor to start becoming uncomfortably hot to the touch. They curled around Kaneki Ken, almost wrapping him like how one would don a suit of armour, but not one scream was emitted from the mouth of the clearly burning person. He just continued to smile as the heat rose in intensity, the flames looking less friendly and taking on the shapes of mystical creatures with way, way too many eyes.

"Hestia! What is the meaning of this? Why are you protecting this man?" Hera asked, concern lacing her tone. The fire gave no response, curling further around the person it was shielding. If she squinted close enough, Artemis could see a small girl flitting amongst them, eyes narrowed and hands clenched. The flames branched out, forming hands holding many sharp weapons, swords, knives, spears and other relics from forgotten ages.

"You don't want to talk, fine! See that's the thing about you gods. You just **don't care**. You fight, with your silly pawns, across time. You never resolve **anything**. You know those humans and half-bloods you're so fond of controlling? They have lives, they are **people**. They shoot, they stab, they kill and they die. For what exactly? You win. So what? No one wins for long! No matter how right you feel, you don't know what's going happen, you don't know who's going to die just for your own selfish desires! How much blood will be spilt until you do what you always have to do, **SIT DOWN AND TALK!** " Kaneki snarled after his outburst, breathing heavily, hands clenching and unclenching. Shocked silence followed his speech while his words ran through the heads of everyone there. Slowly, the Olympians prepared to fight adopted looks of shame, sitting back down, one by one. Artemis watched, impressed by the second. _A man who didn't resort to violence when met with violence. Interesting._

"You know my terms. You know what I want. You know I can do what you want. So…"

Kaneki looked at each and every one of them. He looked hard, looked long, long enough for silence to echo throughout the room.

"Will you agree?"

 **So, that's that. This will be the last chapter in my two main stories for a long time(probably 1 month or more). I'm sorry. But I must study. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Goodbye. Thank you. Kudos to anyone who recognizes certain parts of Kaneki's speech.**


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